The fish get together and hold a competition of hide and seek to see who will rule over them. In the end the puffer fish and the flounder prove to be the best. When the puffer fish is struggling to find the flounder, he sticks out his spines and begins to roll and spin over the ocean floor. Fearful of the puffer fish’s spine, the flounder surrenders and that is why it is said that the puffer fish is more powerful than the rest of the fish.

Sama Cultural Insights

Some of the more basic insights into Sama culture here are Sama fishermen’s knowledge of the sea and the fish that he catches. It is not just the lukuꞌ itingan and kulamperaꞌ that search for each other, but so does the Sama fisherman. In this story the flounder, a sometimes rather hard fish to spot, is pinpointed as hiding somewhere in the range of two arm spans deep on the ocean floor.

Though possibly reading into the story too much, it is worthwhile to note that in the story authority to rule is based on the puffer fish’s ability to scare the other fish as he searches. He is only as good as his weapons and his display of force. These are realities in Sulu, where fisherman currently must carry guns to protect their boats and their catch and where many Sama often feel intimidated by their neighbors the Tausug.